Elves ready to help this holiday season
FITCHBURG » Sometimes a holiday wish is more than a new bike or a cellphone upgrade. Sometimes a holiday wish can be food on the table, or a jacket that fits.
At Sizer School, a North Central charter essential school, the Sizer Elves is a longstanding tradition that has evolved over the years in response to both the needs within the Sizer community and the generosity of Sizer’s many outside supporters.
“Last year, we were able to sponsor gifts for over 50 students and siblings,” said Jenna Lavery Quigley, Sizer School Food Pantry representative and Sizer Elves Coordinator. “We try to help as many families as we can.”
Sizer School serves as many as 400 students a year from 25 local communities including Ashburnham, Westminster, Clinton, Fitchburg, Gardner, Leominster, Lunenburg, Bolton, Stow, Lancaster, Pepperell, Ashby,
Townsend, Holden, Paxton, Princeton, Rutland and Sterling. Based on its mission to know each student personally, Sizer also works hard to fill the needs of each student not only in the classroom, but also at home.
“A student isn’t going to come up to you and say, ‘I don’t have a winter coat because my family can’t afford it’ or ‘I can’t wait for lunch because we didn’t have enough food for dinner last night.’ What you see instead is a brave face who ‘isn’t bothered by the cold’ or ‘doesn’t like coats’ or you see a student pocketing his or her daily snack for later,” said Communica
tion & Recruitment Coordinator Lindsay Sauvageau. “This is why we have a food pantry and programs like the Sizer Elves. Because a student that is focused on trying to meet basic personal needs is not always capable of focusing on academic needs. So as a school, we want to support both.”
A list of Sizer School families in need is created throughout the year by referral and through sign ups. Their needs are then transferred to the Sizer Elves. Anyone wishing to participate as an Elf purchases what they can for these students and/or families.
All family and student information is kept strictly confidential and not given out to the community.
“If community members would like to participate as donors, they can contact me directly,” said Quigley. “If Sizer families want to sign up to receive a gift, they should email/ call us directly also.”
To participate in the Sizer Elves program or to make a donation to the program contact Jenna Lavery Quigley, laveryquigleyj@sizerschool.org; 978-728-3754. All gifts must be turned in by December 18th to allow for remote distribution.
Sizer School is a free public charter school located at 500 Rindge Road in Fitchburg.
To find out more, visit sizerschool.org.
Applications are now being accepted for the 2021-2022 school year. Visit sizer.schoolmint.net to apply.